There are such things as a professional mystery shopper, but it’s a hard gig to land, and is also a closely guarded secret as to how they got the jobs, and who they work for. I used to belong to a group of dedicated mystery shoppers, and while most places say you don’t require any particular skills, that’s the difference between a mystery shopper and a good mystery shopper. I’ve ‘shopped’ hotels, restaurants, credit card companies, banks, stores, and beauty salons. At this point I will say that I was an actor, which is why companies do prefer to use people that are actors so that they can assume identities and not get rumbled. I’ve mystery shopped my staff when I worked in marketing, and also worked for clients of leading brands. Read on for tips on how to get the best jobs, as they are not advertised but are offered to the best people.
• Never pay to join a mystery shopping company. Most operate as marketing companies and the never reveal who their clients are. You will have to start at the bottom, and accept lower paid tasks, but this is a chance to show how reliable you are and that you can write a fair report.
• Writing reports. Some companies will give you guidelines on how they want the reports done with a series of questions, but many will ask for a written report to include various details. When you join, many will give you a test to see how impartial you can be and if you are able to write accurately. You must be objective and answer the question. If the question asks, “Were you approached within five minutes,” and you weren’t but liked the assistant and lied, then that’s not an accurate report. I had one instance where I was inquiring about mobile phones and I asked if the price included VAT, and the assistant asked me what VAT was. Therefore, she could not answer my question, which was part of the scenario, ‘Did the assistant explain the full price of the tariff?’ She was lovely and I didn’t want to get her into trouble, but she hadn’t been trained properly and my report highlighted that fact.
• Accuracy and reliability. Many jobs revolve around times and dates, and you must do them according to the brief, and then submit the report within 24 hours. Mystery visits are time sensitive, as they do shops off-peak and during peak hours. Sometimes they choose certain staff members who a company may have issues with, or a staff member maybe up for an award. I once was involved in a hairdressers’ award and had to visit several salons to get my hair styled to test the service of specific hairdressers. A brief will require you to accurately describe who you interacted with (name and full description), the time you arrived and left, and the date. For restaurants, you will need to record the times when the meals arrived, and when the dishes were cleared. Having a mobile phone is handy, and you can always take photos to help you.
• Follow up calls.Stores get bonuses for good mystery shops, so when they fail, they often challenge the report. Be prepared to go through the whole scenario when this happens. Sometimes you will be asked to do the job again, or they may mark it as a fail, and you won’t get paid if what you reported doesn’t correlate with any CCTV footage.
• Scan and send all receipts. Most companies reimburse only with a submitted receipt. Ensure you send them promptly, and don’t lose them. If you do, then you won’t get paid.
• Respond to emails and texts as soon as you can. Building a relationship with bookers is how to establish a good reputation, and get offered the best jobs. Once a company knows you are reliable and like your reports, they will offer jobs directly. It will take time, and it depends on how good you are. If you can’t do a job, let them know as soon as possible, or say you can’t do it on a particular day, but give the dates when you can so they know your availability.
Always keep a separate email address for mystery shopping work, especially if you have to take on an identity. I used to mystery shop banks and had to use fake names when inquiring about accounts, and had to set up separate email accounts for them to contact me, and also keep a standard message on all my answerphones. Mystery shopping can be great fun, but if you do take a plus one (for restaurants) then brief them on the job and only choose people that won’t let you down or let things slip.
Companies may ask to see how you review services, so if you do have a profile on Trip Advisor, or Yelp, offer to give them a link. This may help fast track you to other jobs if your reviews give pros and cons, and are written well.
. I'm yet to see a woman who doesn't get excited at the mention of that magic word "shop". 
